We cannot allow another disaster to happen in our community

The CREST (Cedar Rapids Extended Sales Tax) Committee gathered more than 5,000 signatures to give our community a chance to vote to extend our existing local-option sales tax to provide funds necessary for flood protection on both sides of the Cedar River.

Our committee members are from all quadrants of Cedar Rapids and from all walks of life. We have members who voted “no” last May. But, all of us believe that flood protection for both sides of the river is the most important issue facing Cedar Rapids.

We cannot forget what happened in June 2008. Flooding that directly impacted more than 5,000 homes and 1,000 businesses, displacing 20,000 individuals from homes and 12,000 employees from their jobs. Physical damage was $5 billion - and how do you even try to put a value on the emotional damage caused to the people of our city? If you think about it, we were all impacted in June 2008.

We cannot let this disaster happen again to our community. Whether you are a lifelong resident or new to the community, you have chosen to call Cedar Rapids home. And with that comes a sense of pride, a hope for tomorrow and a responsibility to the future of Cedar Rapids. The idea of standing idly by and letting this happen again - to our friends and neighbors - cannot be allowed.

On Tuesday, we have the opportunity to safeguard our community's future. The vote is to extend the tax for 10 years, not 20. This was the No. 1 concern we heard out in the community as we gathered signatures, that 20 years was just too long.

The ballot language speaks for itself: 100 percent of its proceeds to establish and maintain flood protection on both sides of the Cedar River. And this is not a new, additional tax; it is extending the current local sales tax.

So, why vote “yes”? Here are few reasons why we feel this is so important:

l Pain - We must never allow the pain and suffering the Flood of 2008 caused our community and citizens to be repeated.

l Jobs - We lost 170 businesses and 2,500 jobs due to the flood. The designing, construction and maintenance of flood protection will create jobs. Flood protection will safeguard jobs, and economic development of the protected area will bring us new jobs.

l Both sides - We are one community, not two. We cannot only protect one side of the river. Our city has great assets on both sides of the Cedar River and it is a necessity to protect both sides.

l Shared costs -

30 percent to 35 percent of the sales tax is paid by people who visit Cedar Rapids and use our infrastructure and amenities. The state also is looking favorably toward helping to provide funding to flood protection.

l A bright future - The community has made an incredible recovery so far. We need to protect these investments. The Federal Emergency Management Agency doesn't come in a second time and help bail us out. Protection will spur economic development in the flooded area.

We are very excited about the future of Cedar Rapids - with flood protection. We are very concerned about that future without it. This may well be the most important vote for this community's future that we will have in our lifetimes.

We hope you will support this effort and vote “yes.”

Co-written and submitted by members of CREST, a grass-roots committee advocating for flood protection on both sides of the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids. More information at www.crest-voteyes.org. Committee members: Gary Ficken, Clint Twedt-Ball, Jack Roeder, Kurt Gustafson, Linda Seger, Bob Schaffer, Al Pierson, Brad Hart, John Bloomhall, Katie Sandquist, Gary Wesely, Sue Wesely, Tony Christopherson, Craig McCormick, Jim Lane, Mike Butterfield, Kathy Potts, Courtney Hall, David Chadima, Dick Ransom, Mike Canning, Adam Wright, Peter Paisley, Aaron Saylor, Macy Koch, Andy Stoll, Mike Wyrick. Comments: www.crest-voteyes.org/contact-us/